Electric furnace.



D. J. HAUSS.

ELECTRIC FURNACE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. s, 1911.

Patented May 6, 1913.

.. 5 Suva/Mow in'g drawings,

PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID J. HAUSS, OF AURORA, INDIANA.

ELECTRIC FURNACE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID J. HAUSS, a citizenof the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Dearborn andState of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectric, Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electrical furnaces.

One of its objects is to produce an improved furnace adapted to" producemetallic alloys and chemicals or compounds, and to control the relativeproportions of the components. Another object is to provide improvedmeans to regulate and control the temperature of the furnace, and tovary and control the relative anode and cathode temperatures.

Another object is to provide improved means to accumulate, preserve fromalteration, and remove the product.

My invention further consists in certain details of form, combinationand'arrangement, all of which will be more fully set forth in thedescription of the'accompanyin which:

Figure 1 is adiagrammatic view showing my improved furnace in centrallongitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line a z of Fig. 1,and illustratingan electrode modification. Fig. 3 is a view similar toFig. 1 of a portion of a furnace,

and illustrating a modification. Fig. 4 1sa VleW snnilar to Fig. 3, andillustrating another modification.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred embodiments of myinvention.

A represents a container or shell of fire clay or similar heat resistingmaterial. \Vithin the main compartment B of the container A I provide anaccumulator or supplemental container D which may formed of fire clay orother heat resisting material, the chem1cal nature of which is designedto be varied according to, and inorder to resist the action of thematerials being treated in the furnace.

E represents one of the electrodes, usually the cathode, whichispreferably enveloped for a ortion of its length in an insulating anheat resisting tube or sleeve 2, and which projects through the wall ofcontainer A and into the chamber '3 formed by the accumulator D, where aportion of the Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented May 6, 1913.

Application filed September 8, 1911. Serial No. 648,264.

electrode rojects from the sleeve 2 so as to COIlt-ilCt'Wlth theelectrolyte 1.

F represents an electrode supported by means of a bracket 5 resting uponthe top of the side walls of container A, said electrode being connectedby means of a wire 6 with a source of direct current source of directcurrent is also connected by means of wire 8 with the electrode E.' Forthe electrolysis of simple ormixedchemical compounds a single electrodeF may be emaluminum from its compounds, or in depositing an alloy ofaluminum and another metal from an electrolyte containing both metals.Where it is desired to deposit one metal by electrolysis from theelectrolyte and to alloy therewith another metal which is transferred bythe current from one'electrode to the other, a single electrode F of thebut I preferably employ two electrodes F and F the electrode F being ofcarbon or non-corrosive material, and the electrode F of the metal to betransferred by the current. \Vhere electrodes F and F are employed asillustrated in Fig. 2, I preferably connect said electrodes in parallelto the source of direct current and provide an adjustable resistance Gor other means for varying the relative amount of current passingthrough the respective electrodes F and F whereby the relative amount ofmetal in the alloy produced by electrolysis and by transference may bevaried and regulated to produce alloys of varying proportions, or ofdefinite proportions as desired.

H represents an electrode supported upon a bracket 10 and connected by awire .11 with a transformer or other source of a1- ternating current12-, which source of alternating current is also connected by wire 14with the electrodes E. Thearrangement of the electrodes is such that adirect current passes through the electrolyte between the electrodes Eand F, or between the electrode E and the two electrodes F F withcontrollable and relatively different proportions passing through therespective electrodes F and F, while an alternating current which ispreferably controllable as to volume passes between the electrodes E andH. The alternating current between the electrodes E and H serves to heatand maintain the electrolyte at the desired temperature, and also tomaintain the electrode E and the metal -7, which ployed, as for instancefor depositing pure metal to be transferred may be employed,

or alloy accumulating or accumulated upon said electrode at the desiredtemperature, and also preferably at a higher temperature than theelectrode F or the electrodes F F, thereby avoiding corrosive orinjurious effects at said electrodes F and F, such as partialinterruption ofthe current by gases generated, for instance.

Various electrolytes may be employed, and among others I contemplateemploying an electrolytic material, in granular or pulverulent form,indicated by 15 in the drawings, which serves as a non-conductor ofheat, and as a non-corrosive container or lining for the interior of thecontainer A, while the portion 4 of electrolytic material in theimmediate neighborhood of the electrodes is maintained in a fused orfluid condition by the heat of the electric currents.

I preferably employ an accumulator D within which one of the electrodes,usually the cathode is located. The accumulator is preferably suitablyanchored in posit-ion, and is provided with an opening 20 through whichcommunication is established between the fluid portions of the materialto be treated within and without said accumulator. A port 21 is alsoprovided through which the accumulated metal, alloy, or product 22 maybe removed from the accumulator, and which port is adapted to be closedpreferably by means of a plug 23 of heat resisting material.

In Figs. 1 and 3 I have illustrated modifications of the accumulatoradapted to be employed where the product accumulating within theaccumulator is of less specific gravity than the electrolyte, and inFig. 4 I have illustrated a form adapted'to treat materials in which theproduct within the accumulator is of greater specific gravity than theelectrolyte. If desired the electrode F or the electrodes F F may be 10-cated also in an accumulator in the same manner as the electrode E, thusemploying two accumulators at the same time one to receive the anodeproducts of electrolysis and the other to receive the cathode product-s.The accumulator, particularly with metal or alloy products serves toprevent alteration or oxidation of the product, and in the case ofproducts of less specific gravity than the electrolyte, to prevent saidproducts from rising to the surface of the electrolyte where they wouldbe exposed to oxidizing or similar influences. It also serves to confinethe product to a small compass, and prevents it from disseminatingthrough the-granular or fluid material to be treated.

The employment of both alternating and direct current provides formaintaining the desired temperature in the fluid electrolyte, andparticularly where it' contacts with the portion of the electrode E,which can thus be maintained at a highertemperature than other portionsof the electrolyte. It also enables a direct current of comparativelylow voltage to be employed; Also by exposing larger electrode areas at Hand F, or F F',.and particularly with low temperatures of theelectrolyte in the neighborhood of said election without departing fromthe principle of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An electric furnace comprising a container to hold a body of materialto be treated, one or more metallic electrodes to serve as anodes andconnected to a source of direct current, an electrode connected to asource of alternating current, an electrode connected to serve as acathode and connected to said source of direct current and to saidsource of alternating current, the action of said direct and alternatingcurrents serving to fuse the material to be treated and said directcurrent between said anode and cathode serving to electrolyze thematerial to be treated and to deposit one of its components at saidcathode and also to transfer the anode material to and alloy it withsaid cathode deposit.

2. An electric furnace comprising a container to hold a body of materialto be treated, one or more metallic electrodes to serve as anode andconnected to a source of direct current, an electrode connected to asource of alternating current, an electrode connected to serve as acathode and connected to said source of direct current and to saidsource of alternating current, the action of said direct and alternatingcurrents serving to fuse the material to be treated and said directcurrent. between said anode and cathode serving to electrolyze thematerial to be treated and to deposit one of its components at saidcathode and also to transfer the anode material to and alloy it wit-hsaid cathode deposit, and means to retain said alloy beneath the surfaceof the electrolyte.

3. An electric furnace comprising a container to .hold a body ofmaterial to be treated, a metallic electrode to serve as anode andconnected to a source of direct current, an electrode to serve as acathode and connected to said source of direct current, an alternatingcurrent passing from one electrode to another through the material to betreated, and means to control the relative amount of direct andalternating treated,the action of said direct and alternat-.

ing currents serving to fuse the material to be treated and saiddirectcurrent between said anode and cathode servingto electro-lyze thematerial to be treated and to deposit one of its components at saidcathode and also to transfer the anode material to and alloy it withsaid cathode deposit.

4. An electric furnace comprising a container adapted to hold a body ofmaterial to be treated, an accumulator compartment located within saidcontainer and adapted to be embedded in the material to betreated and toaccumulate and hold the product beneath the surface of the material tobe treated, an electrode connected to a source of direct current, anelectrode connected to a source of alternating current, and an electrodeconnected to both said source of direct and alternating current, one ofsaid electrodes carrying direct current being located within saidaccumulator compartment.

, 5. An electric furnace comprising a container for a body of materialto be treated, an accumulator located in said container beneath thesurface of the material to be treated and communicating through asubstantially horizontal opening with the interior of said container, ametallic electrode located in said container outside of saidaccumulator'to serve as an anode and connected to a source of directcurrent, an electrode to serve as a cathode located within saidaccumulator and connected to said source of direct current, the actionof the current from one of said electrodes to the other serving to fuseand electrolyze the material to be treatedand to deposit one of itscomponents at said cathode and also to transfer the material of saidanode to and alloy it with said cathode deposit.

6. An electric furnace comprising a container for a body of material tobe treated, an electrode connected to a source of direct current, anelectrode connected to a source of alternating current, an electrodeconnected to said source of direct current and to said source ofalternating current,

and an accumulator within which one of said direct current carryingelectrodes is located, said accumulator o ening horizontally into saidcontainer be ow the surface of the material to be treated and adapted toconfine one of the products of electrolysis below the surface of thematerial to be treated. v

7. An electric furnace comprising a container adapted to hold a body ofmaterial to be treated, an electrode connected to a source of directcurrent, an electrode "connected to a source of alternating current, anelectrode connected to said source of direct current and to said sourceof alternating current, and an accumulator within said container locatedbelow the surface of the material to be treated with an opening intosaid container, and Within which one of said direct current carryingelectrodes is located adapt ed to confine one of the products ofelectrolysis below thesurface of the material to be treated.

8. An electric furnace comprising a container adapted to hold a body ofmaterial to be treated, a metallic electrode adapted to serve as ananode and connected to a source of direct current, an electrodeconnected to a source of alternating current, an elect-rode adapted toserve as a cathode and connected to said source of direct current and tosaid source of alternating current, the action of said direct andalternating currents serving to fuse the material to be treated, andsaid direct current between said anode and cathode serving toelectrolyze the material to be treated and to deposit one of itscomponents at said cathode, and also to transfer the material of saidanode to and alloy it with said cathode deposit.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

DAVID J. HAUSS.

Witnesses l .C. W. MILES,

W. THORNTON Boennr.

